1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vehicle covers and, more specifically, to a vehicle cover which is designed to protect a substantial portion of the body finish of a vehicle from pollutants and which is quickly locked into position. In addition, the cover has openings which permit the vehicle to be accessed through its doors and driven limited distances.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many vehicle covers are known for protecting cars and trucks from the harmful effects of weather, pollution, and vandalism. These vehicle covers may also address problems of preventing the theft of the vehicle cover itself. None of these prior vehicle covers, however, are very efficient at protecting a vehicle while at the same time allowing the covered vehicle to be driven limited distances during the shipping and temporary storage of the vehicle. This inefficiency is greatly magnified when a large number of vehicles need not only to be covered, but also driven and handled during commercial shipping. Many prior vehicle covers are inefficient for commercial purposes in that:
they do not provide immediate access to the interior of a vehicle through its doors;
they do not allow a vehicle to be safely and properly driven while covered; and
they do not provide a quick and efficient means for locking the cover on the vehicle, without additional locks and keys not part of the vehicle, to prevent the easy theft of the vehicle cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,483 to Ferris discloses an inflatable vehicle cover used for protecting automobiles that are in railway transit from the factory against acts of vandalism, such as the throwing of rocks or other objects at the vehicles. The inflatable vehicle cover comprises at least one inflatable cell of flexible air-confining material that substantially conforms to the configuration of the vehicle it is to cover. The deflated cover is placed over the vehicle in such manner that all exterior surfaces of the vehicle are covered. The cover is then secured about the vehicle by either an elasticized circumference or perimeter-engaging straps. The cover is then inflated prior to transit. Upon arrival of the vehicle at its destination, the cover is deflated and removed.
While the vehicle cover disclosed in the Ferris patent protects a car from weather and pollution, it does not provide for access to a vehicle's interior, nor does it permit the car to be driven while covered.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,243,981 to Rowan discloses an automobile cover especially adapted for protecting an automobile from weather conditions such as rain, snow, dew and moisture from large bodies of water. The cover principally consists of side panels, front and rear panels, and a top panel. The lower edges of the side, front and rear panels are provided with hems to receive elastic strips to bring about a tight fit around the lower edges of the cover about the automobile. The front, rear and side panels have slots which open outwardly through the lower edges of the panels and are normally closed by zippers. These slots will permit opening of the cover while on the automobile to give entrance and exit to the body of the automobile. The front panel has a substantially U-shaped slot which forms in the panel a flap directly in front of the windshield of the automobile. This slot may be folded downwardly to expose the glass of the windshield thereby permitting an occupant to readily see through the windshield for the purpose of driving the automobile for a limited distance while shrouded. The front panel also has openings which allow the light from the headlights to shine through the cover.
The zippered slots of the Rowan cover which provide for access to the interior of the automobile tend to flap in the wind and damage the sides of the car when driven. In addition, the side panels of the Rowan cover can become tangled with the wheels while the car is moving, or when the front wheels are turned from side to side. Further, the Rowan cover is not equipped with a mechanism to prevent its U-shaped slot from inadvertently covering the exposed windshield while the car is being driven. Also, Rowan does not disclose a mechanism to prevent the theft of the automobile cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,513 to Poirier discloses a power operated vehicle cover comprising a pliable sheet having a central strip which is adapted to extend from the front bumper over the top of the vehicle to the rear bumper. A pair of side panels extend down the sides of the vehicle and are releasably fastened to the sides of the vehicle by a conventional form of spring fasteners. Slide fastener controlled openings are positioned upon the side panels to register with the doors of the vehicle to thereby provide a ready means for obtaining access to the interior of the vehicle without the necessity of removing the protective covering therefrom. Poirier also discloses a key-lock controlled bolt for securely locking the front end of the cover to the front bumper of the vehicle.
While the Poirier cover does allow for access to the interior of a vehicle, it does not include the necessary openings which permit the vehicle to be operated in a safe and proper manner. Moreover, the locking mechanism of Poirier does not allow the cover to be locked onto the car quickly without using an additional key or combination lock not part of the standard equipment of the car.
Although these and other similar prior devices all represent contributions to the art, none are suitable for simultaneously:
protecting a substantial portion of the body finish of a vehicle from the effects of acid rain and other pollutants;
allowing immediate access to the interior of a covered vehicle through its doors;
permitting the vehicle to be driven safely and properly for limited distances; and
locking the cover in a quick and efficient manner to the vehicle and to prevent the easy theft of the cover.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle cover which is suitable for protecting the body finish of a vehicle against the effects of acid rain and other harmful pollutants.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle cover which allows for the immediate access to the interior of the vehicle through its doors.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a vehicle cover having means and openings which allow the covered vehicle to be operated in a safe and proper manner.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a vehicle cover which can be quickly and efficiently locked to the vehicle that it covers, without additional locks and keys not included as standard equipment with the vehicle, to prevent the easy theft of the cover.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a combination of the foregoing elements in a device which is inexpensive to fabricate.